Nando’s Queen West | DesignAgency

Nando’s, a South African-based chain of fast-casual chicken restaurants founded in Johannesburg in 1987, operates approximately 1,200 outlets around the world. Yet, thanks to its founders’ focus on local style, international design and, above all else, African artistry, each site is unique. As its corporate credo states: “Life’s too short for bland.” At the company’s centre lies its own collision of cultures – an Afro-Portuguese mash-up best represented by its signature dish of butterfly-cut, flamegrilled chicken immersed in spicy peri-peri sauce.

Nando’s restaurants recently invited Toronto’s DesignAgency to develop several of its Canadian showcase locations. The firm is at present completing two Toronto venues, one downtown on Queen Street West (opening June/July, 2016) and the other mid-town on Danforth Avenue (opening in December, 2016), as well as two Calgary locations that will open later this year. The company asked DesignAgency to incorporate authentic modern African style and culture in each location and, to enliven the decor, provide selections from its own contemporary Southern African art collection, reputed to be the largest of its kind outside of South Africa. Queen Street West is among the handful of original roadways that form Toronto’s downtown core. Bordered by sturdy Victorian buildings in various stages of urban renewal, it possesses an eclectic hipness the comes from hundreds of people doing their own thing – indie art galleries, coffee shops and clothing stores abound, all offering a one-of-a-kind experience. DesignAgency, under the leadership of principal Matt Davis and project lead Chiharu Hao, wanted to connect the Nando’s restaurant to Queen Street West’s layers of subcultures, drawing parallels before South African textures and patterns, and Queen Street’s own, layered history and artistic culture. According to Davis, their brief was rather open: “Nando’s gave us tons of freedom with the design, but they also stayed fully engaged in the process, participating in the reviews and offering high-level comments to keep an eye on authenticity and to ensure it has the right Nando’s flavour. Each location for us is unique and has been an exploration into various aspects and movements within South African art, culture, music and fashion. The desire is not to design a space that stays static and pristine throughout time, but rather a space that evolves and matures, creating a warm, enduring patina.” Queen Street’s own brand of chic enters Nando’s through the outdoor patio, furnished with custom cedar-planked picnic seating, leading in to the post-modern hostess station with its jazzy, blackand- white backlit panels. A feature light pendant hangs above; contemporary art hangs behind, sandwiched between industrial wall sconces on an exposed brick wall. Across from this entryway extends a communal seating area made of shaped concrete, raw on the edging and front, where it’s fitted with a pre-worn leather banquette; glazed on the back, showing slight imperfections reminiscent of fired pottery. The bench’s clay-like colour and texture pay tribute to artisanal craftsmanship, as well as give a subtle nod to historic culinary utensils. A surrounding jumble of reclaimed chairs and handful of oversized custom lampshades accent the space’s sense of whimsy and textural adventure. The restaurant’s real showstopper, however, is its 50-foot-long feature wall, which runs from patio curbside through the better part of the building’s interior, becoming the backing for an extended communal booth. The stacked, custom-made concrete blocks, jagged with repeating geometric perforations, are meant to mimic the naturally air-conditioned partitions of many African dwellings. The very oddity of this wall’s existence – a swath of traditional Africa slicing through Toronto’s urban jungle – captures the eye and imagination, enticing curious passersby in for further investigation, and perhaps an extended visit.